


Take my hand and never let go

by lunaemoth



Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Aftermath of Violence, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Happy Ending, Hugs, Hurt/Comfort, Older Man/Younger Woman, Panic Attacks, Slavery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-04
Updated: 2019-06-10
Packaged: 2020-04-07 04:41:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19077691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunaemoth/pseuds/lunaemoth
Summary: The war against the Klingons takes a different turn and members of StarFleet are taken prisoners by the Klingons. Sylvia Tilly is among them.At the end of the war, the Enterprise is tasked with rescuing the enslaved members of StarFleet. They find Ensign Sylvia Tilly and bring her back home.Chapter 1 is platonic Pike&Tilly. Chapter 2 will get romantic.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> NB: I'm French and this hasn't been edited by a beta. If there is an issue, feel free to comment with a correction.

“Commander Nhan, what do you think?”

The security officer looked around the dark showroom of a seedy space station with a displeased curl of her lips. Captain Pike waited patiently. His Barzan officer was more used to such places than he was, which was the exact reason why he had chosen her for the mission. Nhan had an extensive background before she joined Starfleet. She had gotten a letter of recommendation by saving an admiral from the wrong crowd. This was kind of her area of expertise.

“This way,” she said while moving toward a small table to the side but close to the stage. An Orion was sitting alone. He watched them sit by his side without apparent reaction.

“Hi. We’re looking for slaves sold by Klingons,” Nhan explained without wasting time. She held a credit chip in hand. Money was worth more than words around here. It was a bit distasteful to someone raised in Federation Space, but Pike had come to accept it.

The Orion’s eyes turned toward Pike and observed him from head to toe. Despite the fact that his dark civilian clothes allowed Pike to blend with the crowd, the Orion hummed and commented: “I see. You’re too late. The Starfleet girl was sold yesterday.”

Pike twitched, but Nhan sent him a quelling look and he stayed quiet. The confirmation that one of their own was nearby and that they might have missed her was frustrating.

“To who?” she asked.

The Orion didn’t reply but stared at the credit chip. Nhan handed it over, and the alien checked the credit count. At the number, he relented and replied with a shrug: “Me.”

Pike breathed in and leaned forward. Nhan’s job was to find their lost members. It was his job to bring them home. “We want her back.”

“I bet you do. Everyone knows Starfleet is sniffing around to find their lost sheeps. Why you don’t just buy them back from the Klingons directly is beyond me.”

Officially, the Klingons had handed over all their prisoners at the end of the war. Everyone knew they had lied, the Federation and Starfleet first and foremost, but there was little they could do apart from trying to save those who had been forced into slavery. They were ‘lucky’ in that the Klingons were ruined by the war and sold their slaves one after another to fill their coffers.

More than one captain like Pike had to chase rumors of Starfleet crewmen being sold in the darkest corners of space. Since the Enterprise had been one of the rare ships to not participate in the war, they covered twice more ground, and it was sad to say that they were now specialists of retrieving former slaves. By her own admission, their therapist, Dr Park, had more experience in that regard than she had ever wished to have.

“How much?” Pike asked.

The Orion shook his head. “I’m not selling her back. I bought her for a reason.”

Nhan and Pike shared a wary glance. The fact that they were talking about a woman made them uneasy. Generally speaking, Orion males prefered their own females, but you never knew…

“Nah, idiots. Not that reason,” the Orion commented disdainfully. “She’s one of your brainiacs, and I need her to fix my ship.”

Pike relaxed. That, he could deal with. “Give her back, and all my crew will help to fix your ship, free of charge,” he promised.

Tapping his fingers thoughtfully on the table, the Orion pondered the offer before reaching for his communicator. The voice who answered his call was female, but they spoke too low for Pike’s translator. After a moment, the comm was turned their way, and they could understand the new voice which came through:

“Uh. H-hello?” The voice was small and wobbly, but that was Federation Standard. Their lost crewmember, no doubt.

After a glance at the Orion, Pike replied: “Hello. This is Captain Christopher Pike from the USS Enterprise. Please, identify yourself.”

“Oh my— Oh, heck…” There was a moment of heavy breathing at the surprise of hearing a friendly voice and then: “Ensign Sylvia Tilly of the USS Discovery. Sir, I’m so happy to hear you.” Her voice quavered.

The Orion pulled back the communicator to himself. “Tilly, tell the Captain what needs to be done to repair my ship,” he demanded.

The list which followed was… extensive. Pike’s eyebrows slowly rose as he wondered if it wouldn’t have been less costly to pay whatever amount the Orion would have demanded. Starfleet wouldn’t have cared: credits were meaningless. But it didn’t matter, he knew his crew could make it happen in record time.

“She’s an engineer. A good one. She babbles too much but works hard,” the Orion commented after turning off the comm.

“Several pairs of hands would be quicker, no matter how good she is,” Pike pointed out.

“True. Starfleet has a good reputation. You usually keep your promises, but still… She’ll stay on board my ship until the repairs are done.”

“All right, but in that case I’ll be able to see her whenever I want.”

 

oOo

 

The Orion ship, named Elegance, was a quarter of the Enterprise’s size. Yet, Pike still had some difficulties to find his lost Ensign in the middle of the messy engine room —something had blown up in here. He deduced her position due to the clangs, but he had to call her out. The noises stopped, there was some shuffling, and then a tuft of red curly hair popped up between pipes.

“Oh, my God,” Tilly blurted out when she caught sight of him.

“Nah, it’s only me, I’m afraid,” he replied with a smirk.

She ducked under the pipes and made her way to Pike. “Only you? Sir, you’re the most beautiful sight I have seen in months!” She twisted her hands agitatedly in her excitement.

His smile softened. “I’m sorry you had to wait so long, Ensign, but this will soon be over. I came to an agreement with the Orion. My crew is going to come and help you fix this ship. As soon as it’s done, you’re back with us.”

She brightened like a star, her voice full of hope as she breathed a “Really?”

“Really. Unfortunately, they refused to let you leave until it’s done or to let anyone else than me and the repair crew on their ship, so a check-up will need to wait, but I can bring you medicine or anything you might need. They tell me you’re in perfect health, but I’ll only believe you.”

“I’m fine,” she confirmed. “Well… fine is relative, but physically I’m okay, the Klingons had to make sure of that. Slaves in bad health don’t sell at the best price, you know,” she babbled. “But, there is… that is… I know it’s inappropriate, Sir, but…”

“Speak freely, Ensign,” Pike encouraged her.

“I could really use a hug,” she admitted in a murmur, twisting her fingers. He had noticed that she didn’t look at him in the eye, but right now she was staring at her shoes. The boots she was wearing were old and cheap, just like the shapeless grey clothes she had been given.

He felt a pinch of compassion in his chest. God knew what the girl had gone through during months of enslavement, but lack of companionship was clearly at the top of the list.

The former slaves the Enterprise had rescued had shown a wide array of traumatisms. A few had been sexually abused, many had suffered at least irregular physical violence, and a large part had been fed a poor diet, but all of them were mentally scarred. For some, it meant that they shied away from everyone. On the contrary, others were eager to receive comfort even from friendly strangers. From what he knew (and Pike kept an eye on every rescue the Enterprise had made), the second kind usually recovered quicker, as long as they were taken care of with all the consideration and kindness they deserved.

“Come here,” he murmured softly, opening his arms in silent invitation.

She dived into his embrace, and Chris had to take a step back to balance them both. Her hold was loose, but she began to shake like a leaf as relief flooded her body. Pike foresaw a meltdown. He inwardly cursed the Orions (Talvo and his wife, Nava, both quite stubborn) for not letting him bring medical crew: she could have used someone with psychological training (Pike’s own training was about managing a crew, along with the basic Post-Traumatic Psych course he had followed in the Academy like everyone else). All he could think of doing was rubbing her back in circles and offering soothing words promising her imminent return into Starfleet.

This seemed to be enough. Her shudders slowly subsided. Her sniffles quieted down in heavy but deeper breaths.

Pike fell silent, understanding that Tilly needed to pull herself back together.

“I thought it was a bad joke,” she whispered, staring at their shoes. “I recognized your voice, from old videos at the Academy, but I didn’t dare hope… I couldn’t…”

“Is that something they did to you? Lying? Playing cruel jokes?” he inquired gently. If it was, he’d need to notify Dr Park and warn the repair crew against ill-advised humor.

“I… Yes,” she breathed. “They thought it was funny that I was so naive.”

“They were cruel bullies,” Pike disapproved sternly. “Do not heed anything they ever told you, Ensign. I’m here, and I won’t leave without you, you have my word.”

He felt a shudder of relief under his hands. She slowly pulled back, keeping her face down while she rubbed her wet cheeks with her sleeve.

“Thanks,” she murmured with a last sniffle. “You’re a good hugger. I mean, you give good hugs,” she started to babble, and he could see her cheeks redden in embarrassment. He didn’t need to know her well to guess she was the kind of people to dig themselves in deeper. Oh, she would have been easy prey to the ruthless Klingons, he could see that.

“You’re welcome,” he interrupted to save them both from whatever would come next. “I promise you’ll be able to see your friends and family soon.”

“A-about that, do you know what happened to the rest of the Discovery’s crew? I was with some others at first, Keyla and Joann, but then they separated us and I don’t know what happened to them. They… What the Klingons said… by then I already knew I couldn’t trust anything they said, but...” Her hands were shaking anew. Pike reached for them and covered them in support.

“All high-ranking officers were released at the end of the war. Unfortunately, some crewmen —especially the youngest and lower ranks like you— were kept by the Klingons, who pretended you died. I’ll bring you an up-to-date list of the Discovery crew’s status next time I come to see you, if you want.”

She nodded. “Please.”

“Okay. Now, a team of engineers and technicians is coming to help you. My science officer, Lieutenant Spock, and chief engineer, Lieutenant Louvier, will take turns to coordinate efforts. If you need anything, you let them know, all right?”

“Yes, Captain.”

 

oOo

 

The repairs progressed well enough that Pike was hopeful they could be done in a week, ten days at worst. The Orions were cooperating, pleased to see their ship getting back in shape. Pike went to personally check on Tilly every day, so she could rest assured that he didn’t forget her.

After learning that her friends from the Discovery had all been freed, either released at the end of the war or found afterwards, she had been less tense and fidgety. Pike had suggested sending messages to her loved ones. She had insisted on making them all text or voice only. When she had made a voice recording for her best friend, Michael Burnham, in front of him, he had understood why: her voice broke more than once and tears fell freely on her cheeks (afterwards, she had curled up against his side while he sent the messages to his communication officer). It was slow going, but she was smiling and laughing more and more with the repair crew. Every sign of happiness pleased them all (Pike was pretty sure Louvier had a joke competition going, but as long as they weren't offensive, far from Pike the idea to step in, Spock already calmed them down when he was in charge).

Everything was going well, until the third day, when he was talking with his officers on the bridge in the first hour of the morning, and his private comm beeped.

“Pike.”

“Captain. This is Louvier. You asked to be informed if there was an issue with Ensign Tilly.”

Preparing for the worst, Pike breathed in and shared a wary glance with Number One. “What is it?”

“Usually, she’s always waiting for us when we arrive. Today, she isn’t, so I asked the Orions. They say she’s sick, but they won’t let me see her.”

“I’m on my way,” Pike announced while standing from the chair.

Boyce immediately handed over his tricorder. “I hate doing diagnostics remotely,” he grumbled.

“Yeah, and I hate having a crew member who isn’t on my damn ship, but we make do with what we have,” Pike replied while walking to the turbolift. Spock followed. The captain sent him a curious look but didn’t question it. “Number One, the bridge is yours.”

Once they were alone in the turbolift, Pike raised a palm questioningly.

“My sister requested I ensure the wellbeing of her former roommate,” Spock explained, standing straight with his hands crossed behind his back.

“Ah.” Pike nodded in understanding. It had been a surprise to learn that Tilly’s best friend was Spock’s half-sister, but it was a nice one since it had allowed them to relay messages more easily. Pike stared in front of him and then back to Spock. “You know, I’m glad there is at least one good thing coming out of this. It’s good to see you reconnect with family.”

Spock tilted his head noncommittally as they arrived at the transporter. There was a complicated story there, about his relationship with his adopted sister, but Pike wasn't going to pry.

They were beamed into the Elegance and soon met by Talvo.

“Your girl is fine,” he sighed.

Behind him, Pike caught sight of his female companion, Nava, who always stayed elusive.

“If Ensign Tilly was fine, she would be working with the rest of the crew,” Pike replied pointedly.

“She just has a headache, she’ll be fine in a few hours.”

“I’ll be the judge of that.” Pike went around the Orions and toward Tilly’s bedroom. It was a small place, not much more than a large cupboard with a bed, but Tilly appeared to be content with it, only complaining about her allergies. She had no doubt been used to worse these last months.

Pike knocked on the door and received a groan of acknowledgement. At least she was responsive.

“Ensign, this is Captain Pike. We’re worried about your health. I’m coming in.”

Tilly buried her head under blankets when the light flooded in her previously dark room. “No light,” she whined weakly.

Pike stepped in and frowned. “Tilly? … Do you have a hangover?”

“I wished,” she grumbled, barely audible. “That would imply I had fun last night.”

“All right. A migraine then?”

“The worst... ever,” she replied grumpily.

“I’ll scan you and send the results to Dr Boyce on the Enterprise, okay?” he asked gently before holding the tricoder over her head. His communicator beeped a few minutes later. Pike moved to take the call in the hallway so the noise wouldn’t disturb the ill girl. Spock was waiting patiently.

“Migraine?” Boyce asked sharply.

“The worst ever, apparently.”

“Yeah, I’m not surprised. She’s covered with Orion pheromones.”

“I’m sorry, covered with what?”

“The pheromones produced by Orion females. It has hypnotic effects on males — including human males, Captain, watch out for that. Women react negatively to it, though. The reaction’s strength depends on the dose and each individual, but it looks like Ensign Tilly is not a fan.”

“What should we do?”

“Get rid of the pheromones. She needs a shower. Water shower, mind you, pheromones are resistant to sonic. Then, gave her a pain killer and let her rest, it should pass. Also, don’t let it happen again. Repetitive exposure worsens the effects.”

“Got it, Doc.” Pike looked up and met Talvo's eyes at the end of the hallway. “We’ll be using your shower,” he informed him neutrally, “and please tell your companion to keep her pheromones away from my crew.”

“The effects are time-limited, Tilly will feel fine in a few hours.”

“And stay in pain and discomfort until then? I don’t think so. I asked you to ensure her well-being. That counts. Or should I ask my crew to leave you with half your engines?”

“Tilly knows the way to the shower.” Talvo turned around and left.

“Really, would it have killed him to tell her to shower when he saw how sick she was?” Pike grumbled to Spock who tilted his head in agreement.

Getting Tilly to stand up was a struggle for which Spock stepped forward.

“You shouldn’t touch her, Captain,” he said. “Contact with the pheromones isn’t recommended to your species. Vulcans are immune.” When he put Tilly’s arm around his shoulders and lifted her in a bridal carry, the young woman blinked her eyes opened and mumbled a “wow, strong.”

"Vulcans," Pike noted with a smile, "they do that."

"Only when necessary," Spock added solemnly.

"Of course, it wouldn't be logical otherwise," Pike quipped cheerfully. "How are we doing, Ensign?"

"I might be sick on you," she mumbled, her eyes tightly closed in a frown.

"I'd appreciate it if you could wait to be in the shower," Spock said.

They managed to get her in the bathroom without incident. Pike waited outside while Spock went back to the Enterprise to fetch pain killers. When the door opened, Pike looked up to see a bleary-eyed but more functional Tilly came out. Her wet hair fell in heavy curls on her shoulders, and she held her arms around her chest in an obvious attempt to warm herself up. Pike immediately removed his jacket to offer it to her. The Elegance was kept a few degrees under what most humans considered optimal due to Orions’ metabolism.

“Thanks,” Tilly whispered, pulling the jacket around her and rubbing her nose against the collar. “I feel like I’m exiting a cloud of… of miasma.”

There was an offended gasp. They turned around to see Nava pout.

“Hey,” Tilly said, raising a finger. “Don’t pout at me. This is on you. I told you I wasn’t interested in your sexual games.”

Pike’s eyebrows went up, and he sent Tilly a concerned look.

“Oh, no, no, it’s fine,” she mumbled. “They didn’t force me to do anything. I just had to… like… run out of the room really fast.”

“I see… Should I talk to Talvo?”

“She’s the one in charge here,” Tilly replied, pointing to the green lady watching them.

“Is that so? In that case… Madam, I’d appreciate if you could…” Pike interrupted himself as Nava moved forward with an expression he wasn’t exactly comfortable with.

Tilly stepped between them. “Oh, no, no, no. You already have a captain. You don’t need two.”

The Orion tilted her head and smirked sensually. “Why not? Is he yours?”

“Yes,” Tilly blurted out before realizing what she implied. Her eyes widened, and she shook her hands. “I mean, he’s my captain, kinda... technically I’m not really assigned to the Enterprise, but whatever, details. You can’t have him. Don’t touch! Don’t spray with pheromones!” Nava held out her hand. Tilly batted it away. “I said no!” The Orion hissed. Tilly hissed back, louder.

Pike probably shouldn’t find this so amusing. He cleared his throat and gently pulled Tilly back with a hand on her waist. “You should rest, Ensign. Why don’t we go back to your room?”

“Yes, Sir,” she replied easily, sending a warning glare at her opponent.

Nava didn’t comment but sported a knowing smirk.

Spock was waiting at the door of Tilly's room with painkillers. After delivering it, he excused himself to join the repair crew.

“Now, get some rest. I’ll check up on you later today. In the meantime, if you need anything…” Pike handed over a communicator.

“Thank you, Sir.”

 

oOo

 

Two days later, Pike was awoken in the middle of the night by his beeping comm. He groped for it with a groan and mumbled: “Pike.”

In the silence of his room, the only thing he could hear at first was (too) fast, heavy breathing. At the lack of response, he raised himself on an elbow and frowned. When he heard a sniffle, he ventured a guess: “Tilly?”

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have called you,” she murmured so low that he needed a few extra seconds to make sense of it.  

Now thoroughly awake, he pushed his blankets away and stood up, looking for his clothes. “What’s wrong?”

“I-it’s nothing, sorry—”

“Ensign,” he interrupted, “status report.” The order was a little sharper than he’d usually give, but it was —he checked the clock— three in the morning, he figured he could be forgiven. Putting the comm on speaker, he started to dress.

“I… I’m having a panic attack, Sir.” Her voice was steadier with an order to follow.

“Okay,” he breathed. He could deal with that. In his sleep-deprived state, that was probably preferable to dealing with the Orions. “I’ll be here in five,” he promised while pulling on his pants. “Stay with me, Ensign. Breathe with me. Breathe in...” The uniform was never more annoying than when he had to put it on in a hurry. Grabbing his jacket instead of putting it on, Pike continued to guide Tilly’s breathing while he left his room. Panic attacks, he knew how to deal with. They were relatively common in or after stressful situations so it was basic PT Psych. Deep breathing was key, as well as some company.

In the middle of the night shift, the Enterprise was calm and relatively deserted. When Pike came out of the turbolift on the transporter floor, he met Nhan who blinked in surprise. Without giving her time to react, Pike grabbed her and turned her around while pressing his comm to his chest.

“Commander, what are you doing on the night shift?”

“I lost a game of poker, Sir.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You? You’re one of the— Never mind that. I need you to beam me to the Elegance and inform... whoever is in charge.” Damn it, who was on the night shift? He was drawing a blank. He needed caf.

“Sir?”

“Tell them Ensign Tilly needs me — just a panic attack, don’t get out the phaser yet. I have my comm and will check in every hour if I’m not back before then.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Pike patted Nhan’s shoulder and stepped onto the transporter while raising his comm to his lips. “Still breathing slowly, Tilly? Where are we at?”

“Breathe in, Sir.”

“All right. Hold for five,” he said before being dematerialized.

The way to Tilly’s room was familiar. Pike had no trouble finding it despite the lights on minimum intensity for the night. He did knock his foot into a wall though and stifled a curse.

“I’m here, Ensign. May I come in?”

At her hum of assent, he opened the door and stepped in.

Tilly was curled up against the wall, her blanket drawn around her. Her hair was a mess sticking against the wall. He stifled a snort. It was damn cute, which was unfair when he wasn’t awake enough to remember what ‘professional behavior’ meant. He collapsed on the bed by her side more than he sat. “All right. Talk to me. Did something bring this on?”

“No-not really? I woke up and then…”

“That’s fine. That happens, especially in anxious situations,” he reassured her, offering his hand for comfort. She accepted it and held on tight. “One thing is for sure, in the morning, whether the Orions like it or not, I’m bringing Dr Park to see you. I shouldn’t have surrendered on that. You need medical attention and denying it is against the Convention of Tereis, which the Orions signed… I don’t care if they’re Orion outlaws.”

He ruffled his hair and tilted his head to better see her.

“What do you need?” At her uncertain expression, he suggested: “Do you want to talk? hug? sleep? race through the ship and wake up your horrid hosts?”

This managed to get a small smile out of her. “I could do with a hug.”

“All right. Let’s squish up.” He moved closer and let go of Tilly’s hand so he could put his arm around her shoulders, he gave her his other hand instead. “Really, what’s the deal with this bed? Is it just a blanket on a bench?”

“You should try the Klingon ones, Sir. They don’t bother with blankets.”

“That’s just sad, Ensign. The whole point of a bed is the blanket. Who can sleep without?” He kept his tone light and joking, noticing the way she shivered at the memory.

Her hair clung to his sleeve due to static. He gently tried to smooth it in a more tidy look, which provoked an approving hum from Tilly. She cuddled a little closer to him. He froze. His sleep-deprived mind wondered if he should stop, but when it failed to find an alternative which didn’t let one of his crewmen in distress, he mentally shrugged it off and went back to petting her hair.

“So, I was going to tell you this tomorrow… or rather this morning, in a few hours, but Spock was contacted by Michael Burnham yesterday. She gave him an earful, so he’s probably going to show up so you can record a new message for her, to get her off his back. Don’t take his scowling personally, he’s still upset with his sister. Family issues, you know…”

She chuckled and adjusted her cheek against his chest. “Yeah, I know.”

He cleared his throat. “Speaking about that, I got a reply from your mother…”

“Oh, heck,” Tilly breathed, tensing against him.

He realized too late this might not be the best subject to keep her calm. He was left with one option: make fun of it. “She was… very grateful.” Pike was used to letters of thanks from the families of the former slaves the Enterprise had rescued. This one had been a little over the top. “And really eager to ensure you’ll get the best care possible. So, spoiler, but you’ll get ice cream every day from now on.”

Tilly looked up, flabbergasted. “My mom told you to give me ice cream?”

“Actually no, she told me to give you sorbets, but there was some nonsense afterwards about it being a good thing you had lost weight, so I’m ignoring that mistake of hers… Captain’s privilege.” He winked. “It will be our little secret.”

“Oh.” Tilly giggled. “For a second there, I thought my mom had somehow changed, that or she had been replaced by a clone. The second one was more likely.” Her amusement faded into chagrin.

Damn it. It really wasn’t the right subject of conversation to brighten her mood. Duly noted. He wasn’t going to make that mistake twice.

“She was truly happy to hear you were well,” he tried to comfort her nonetheless.

“Yeah, I know. She loves me and she means well, she’s just…” Tilly sighed and shook her head.

Pike took that as a sign to change the subject. First, he adjusted their position so they could lie more comfortably on this ridiculous little bed. They managed with her lying flush against him, her head over his heart and his head on the pillow. And then he looked for his “light mood” stories.

When Tilly fell asleep in the middle of one, he relaxed. There was no way he could do the same, not when she was snoring —she had warned him about her allergies affecting her breathing. He would get her a hypoallergenic pillow tomorrow. Her mother had told him that her sleep would be poorer otherwise, and he knew that poor sleep meant worse anxiety, no need to feed the vicious circle.

He checked in with the Enterprise as promised and then closed his eyes, working on his checklist for the next day.

 

First step: talk to the Orions.

They were barely sitting down for breakfast when he appeared in their living room and leaned on the table. “Tilly needs medical attention. I’m bringing my CMO and a specialized therapist.”

Startled, they struggled to find an answer, but he was already leaving, waving a hand over his shoulder.

“I wasn’t asking. Just informing you they’ll be passing by, that’s all. Have a nice meal.”

That done, he went to take a shower and brief his crew. They had one job: take care of Tilly, and it would be done, no matter how many hours of sleep he had to sacrifice.

As it turned out, his crew didn’t exactly agree. Four hours later, he was arguing with them in his ready room.

“Let’s make a deal,” Dr Park offered, interrupting Pike and Boyle. You could always count on her to find a compromise when everyone else was being stubborn. “We’ll give you our report, Captain, and then you’ll have lunch and take a nap.”

“Fine,” Pike replied with a fond smile. His medical crew was bossy, but he knew it was for the best.

“At least,” Boyle grumbled. “Fine, let’s get this over with. Physically, Ensign Tilly isn’t one of the worst I have seen. She needs a better diet though. She lost too much weight and has too many deficiencies to name. I gave her a few shots, but that’s far from enough. I’ll be speaking with Dr Nguyen, our dietician.”

“Any signs of old injuries?”

“Yes. All of them were treated more or less adequately. No lasting physical after-effects should occur.”

“All right. Dr Park?”

“We have spoken at length. She’s open about what happened to her, which is a good thing. She’s a smart woman, very self-aware, but self-deprecating, and I'm afraid the Klingons did a number on her self-esteem which wasn't very high to start. Still, she rather impressed me with how…” The therapist looked for her words, licking her lips thoughtfully. “... how she put things into perspective. She'll pull through. I put her on anxiolytics, and she’ll probably need them for a while, but I have no doubt she’ll get better with proper care.”

Pike nodded slowly. “That’s good to hear. Thank you, Doctors.”

Boyle pointed at him on his way out. “Take a nap!”

 

oOo

 

Nine days after finding Tilly, the repairs were finally done. The Orions insisted on a test run but, once they were convinced, they let Tilly go without difficulty.

Pike told his crew to head for Earth while he showed their new resident to her quarters. They would bring her home and enjoy a well-deserved and overdue vacation.

He was leading Tilly through the Enterprise, explaining where she could find everything she would need, since the Discovery and the Enterprise had different configurations. He greeted crewmen leaving the turbolift they would take down to the quarters’ floor.

Once they were alone and Pike had called the appropriate floor number, he glanced at Tilly and did a double take. She was crying.

“Ensign? What’s wrong?”

Tilly sniffed and dried her cheeks. “It’s nothing.”

“Tilly,” he said softly, resting a hand on her shoulder. “Talk to me.”

“It’s just…” She bit her lower lip. “For a while, I thought I wouldn’t see a Starfleet ship again. It’s so different from the Klingons’...”

He smiled kindly. “Those are happy tears, I take it?”

She nodded and smiled back. “Happy, relieved tears.”

He patted her back and, as the turbolift opened, invited her to step out first with a courteous hand gesture. He kept his hand on her shoulder to guide her and keep her grounded. He showed her to her quarters and made sure she had everything she needed.

After a short tour, she sat down on her bed — with special pillows, mattress and blankets, all hypoallergenic — and looked around, a bit dazed.

“Tilly? Is everything alright?” Pike asked.

She rubbed her hands on her thighs and smiled weakly. “Yes. It’s fine, I’m fine…” She didn’t meet his eyes — she rarely did, but right now she was staring everywhere but at him.  

He stepped forward and crouched in front of her, letting his hands hung between his knees as his forearms rested on his thighs. “Hey,” he said softly. He waited for her to glance his way — but not at him directly, never.

She blushed and stammered. “Wh-what are you doing? Don’t—”

He ignored it. “I understand it’s hard coming back to something you thought lost.” She quieted and stared at her hands clenched together on her lap. “What you went through…” He shook his head. “I can’t imagine. But know that everyone on this ship is deeply sympathetic, and if you need anything, whether it’s some peace or some company, you only have to ask. Starfleet is family. We’re there for you.”

Her fingers clenched and her lips pursed as she tried to hold back her tears but lost the fight. He was going to straighten and sit by her side to give her a hug when she suddenly threw herself in his arms. Unprepared, he fell on his backside with an armful of weeping Ensign thanking him with deep gratitude.

Figuring that he could excuse the lack of decorum considering they were in private, Pike adjusted their position to be more comfortable and patted her back patiently. He blew discreetly on a few strands of curly red hair trying to smother him.

When Tilly leaned back on her heels and dried her cheeks with the tip of her sleeve, she realized their situation (on the ground, with her on her knees between his spread legs) flushed and mumbled: “Sorry, Captain.”

“Don’t mention it, Ensign.” He grabbed her shoulder and squeezed. “Really… don’t. Especially not to Number One. She wouldn’t let me live it down.”

Tilly giggled.

“It’s good to hear you laugh,” he said gently.

She met his eyes and smiled.

That was a really pretty smile. He vowed to make it happen as often as possible.


	2. Chapter 2

oOo Two years later oOo

 

It had been a while since the Enterprise stopped by a space station, as such every member of the crew got at least three days of leave to unwind, Pike included.

If one of his days off included a work party, well, at least there were free drinks!

“Captain Pike?”

Preparing to schmooze some more, Pike straightened on his stool at the bar and turned around. He was happily surprised by his new interlocutor.

“Tilly! Did the Discovery already arrive? How have you been?”

He didn’t bother standing up, offering a one arm hug and pulling her tenderly against his side to press a kiss in her hair. They had kept in touch since the Enterprise had brought her back on Earth and their regular communications allowed for a friendly relationship.

“We docked an hour ago,” she replied. “I remembered you talk about showing up to this party so I begged the Captain to let me go early.”

“I’ll have to remember to thank Saru then, you just made this evening much more interesting. Save me from all the administrative talk, and tell me all about your latest science shenanigans.” He patted the stool by his side as an invitation.  

No one had better science stories than the Discovery crew. It made sense considering they were a science vessel first and foremost, but damn they had some pretty weird stuff on board: mushrooms, asteroids and spores among others…

Amused by the numerous anecdotes, Pike noticed a bit late that Tilly had gotten closer. Intimately close. He gently removed her hand from his, smiling softly to show he wasn’t upset about it. He knew from her time on the Enterprise that Tilly was touchy-feely, even more so after a few drinks. He glanced at her empty glass, trying to remember how many she had had and if he should offer to take her back to the Discovery now — that would be the ideal excuse to leave, actually.

“I just got two,” Tilly blurted out when she noticed his look. “One is to relax. Two brings liquid courage. Three removes any mouth filter — like, worse than usual — so I stop at two when there are superiors around.”

“That’s probably for the best,” he agreed, amused.

“Two was necessary though so I can ask you to dance.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You don’t need to fret about that, Tilly, it would be my pleasure.” He stood up and offered his hand. She had chosen the skirt variant of the female dress uniform, and he realized he had never seen her show skin. She had scars, he knew. The Klingons hadn’t bothered healing all the injuries they inflicted. She was self-conscious of them, but there were none on her legs. She held herself proudly.

“You look great,” he told her as they walked to the dance floor.

She smoothed her ponytail and smiled. “Thanks. I had to dress quickly, and I don’t even remember the last time I wore this, but it still fits so I guess it’s all good…”

Hand in hand, they faced each other for a slow dance.

“Wasn’t it for your medal ceremony?”

She snorted. “I guess.” The medal was pinned to her jacket, but she’d rather forget all about it.

“Hey,” he said softly. “You deserve it.”

“For being enslaved?”

He clicked his tongue. “For fighting in the war. We talked about this, Tilly.” He squeezed her hand and held her closer, leaning forward so they were eyes to eyes when he said firmly: “You deserve it as much as anyone else.”

She looked down at his jacket (covered with many more medals than her), fleeing eye contact, a bad habit that she hadn’t fully gotten rid of.

“Look at me,” he demanded. When she complied, he insisted: “You deserve it. Say it.”

“I… I deserve it.” Her voice was firmer.

He nodded approvingly. “Yes, you do, Lieutenant.”

They finished their dance quietly, enjoying the music and the simple contact. It had been a while, Pike realized, since he had allowed himself to dance just for the pleasure of dancing and not for some kind of diplomatic mission. When the music paused and changed to a more lively song, he led Tilly away.

“Do you want to leave?”

At her nod, they went toward the doors. He met Katrina Cornwell’s eyes on the way. Her stare lingered on Tilly before she nodded at him with a smile and a hint of… he probably didn’t want to know what.

“Where is docked the Discovery?” he asked as they left the reception hall.

“Dock eleven.” She pursed her lips and shifted from one foot to another.

He knew that look. “What is it?”

“I…” She sighed and looked around at the empty hallway. “I chickened out earlier, I didn’t drink to ask you for a dance… Not that the dance wasn’t great! It was perfect! I love dancing, and you’re a great dancer, and I’d love to do it again—”

“Tilly,” he called to get her back on track. “What do you want to ask?”

She breathed in and blurted out: “Do you want to spend the night with me?”

Her eyes went wide.

His eyebrows went up.

At his silence, she babbled: “It’s just… I’m just offering. If you don’t want to, we’ll never speak of it again, and uh… Oh, heck, I shouldn’t have said anything—”

“Tilly… I’m twice your age.”

“That’s harsh, Sir… on yourself or on me, I’m not sure.” She tilted her head, her hair pouring over her shoulder. “Actually, you’re fifteen years older than me. I checked. And, if I may say so, Sir, you’re really… Mh… I mean, you don’t look your age. All of that to say that I have a big crush on you.” She raised her hands and shook them as she talked. “But, if that makes you uncomfortable I’ll never mention it ever again and you can forget everything I said, just… don’t shut me out, please, that would be really painful.”

“I’m flattered,” he said solemnly.

“Oh. That’s better than offended—”

“Tilly!”

“Sorry, sorry. You’re talking. I’m letting you talk… now.”

Pike was prepared to reject her as nicely as he could. She straightened with her hands clenched behind her back, bit her bottom lip apprehensively and yet still met his eyes head-on. She had come a long way from the traumatized Ensign he had first met. She was cute, earnest and brave. This wasn’t just a crush from a hero-worshipping cadet or ensign like he had to deal with in the past, he realized. It wasn’t, because he knew her and liked her too. Probably not as much as she did, but… well, it had been a while since he had enjoyed the company of a woman, and he always hated to let this one in particular down.

“All right.”

She blinked. “What?”

“All right,” he repeated, caught her by the waist and led her toward the residential area. “Let’s see if they have a free room. Do you want to stop by a restaurant first? Those hors d'oeuvres were quite small.”

“Uh, can we get Italian?” Tilly asked, dazed.

“Good call. Italian it is. To go?”

“Sure.”

They had reached the restaurant when Tilly finally reacted. “Wait, wait, wait. You said yes. I’m not dreaming this, right?”

“I did, and you are not,” Pike confirmed placidly before ordering spaghetti alla carbonara.

Tilly ordered lasagne and leaned forward and to the side so that her face popped up in the corner of his eyes. “Just checking… how many drinks did you have?”

“Enough not to brood about the age difference, not enough to regret it tomorrow,” he replied with a smirk.

“Oh, great. That’s great. That’s, in fact, the perfect amount of alcohol,” she babbled while relaxing and still trying to wonder when the other shoe would drop. She cursed when her comm beeped.

“Go ahead,” Pike told her. “I’ll grab our meal and book a room.”

Tilly walked away and accepted the video call. She was met with the expectant faces of Michael, Keyla and Joann.

“Did you do it? Did you ask him?” Keyla asked with a grin.

“She didn’t,” Joann guessed.

“Actually, I did,” Tilly informed them boldly, licking her lips in nervousness just after.

Joann and Keyla whistled. Calmer, Michael asked: “What did he say?”

When Tilly failed to reply immediately, Keyla told her compassionately: “Do you need us to come and find you? We can go to the bar together, it will cheer you up.”

She was clearly convinced Tilly had been rejected. All of them were. Tilly wasn’t upset about it, she had been the first to admit that her chances were extremely low. She had to ask though, or she’d have regretted it. No regrets, she had promised that to herself after months of slavery spent thinking about all the things she wouldn't be able to do if she died in captivity. Once she had made up her mind, the girls had been kind enough to support her decision and encourage her.

“Actually… Actually, he said yes.”

There was a second of silence and then a chorus of: “What?! Seriously?!” Even Michael was flabbergasted. It was no slight against Tilly: none of them had taken Christopher Pike for the type of man to accept advances from a young Lieutenant.

Tilly checked over her shoulder. Pike had their meals and was tapping on a PADD, probably to book their room. “He said yes, and we just ordered pasta. Girls, I think I’m dreaming.”

The three women replied at the same time in a mix of encouraging and reassuring words. Tilly got the gist of it.

Pike looked up, met her eyes and nodded.

“It looks like he’s ready. I should go.”

“Yes, you go, girl!” Keyla approved with a wide grin.

“Yeah, you’ve got this,” Joann approved with a thumbs up.

“Have a good night, Tilly,” Michael concluded with an encouraging smile before the call ended.

Tilly jogged back to Pike. They made their way to the room, talking about Italian food and food in general along the way. It was easy, friendly talk. It was comfortable.

If this was a dream, Tilly didn’t want to wake up.

 

oOo

 

“I have to ask. This is going to bug me if I don’t ask,” Tilly said half an hour later as they finished their dinner. They were sitting cross-legged on the double bed, bare-footed and jackets open. This was not at all how Tilly had pictured this going on in her fantasies (there had been more… sexiness, passion and fumbling with clothes).

Pike chuckled. “By all means, go on.”

“By which miracle did you say yes to my —horrible, very clumsy, totally not as sexy as I planned it— proposition?”

He grinned and rested an arm on a raised knee. “Seriously?”

“Yes, please,” she requested earnestly, leaning over her empty plate of lasagna.

“I think…” He squinted and pretended to need time to find an answer. “I think it’s called loneliness,” he finally admitted with a tilt of his head.

She froze. “You’re lonely?”

He shrugged. “Being the captain of a deep space exploration ship isn’t always glamour and adventure. It’s keeping a professional mask on for the crew seven days a week. It takes its toll. To be honest, I’m rather relieved my time will soon be over on that front.”

Tilly tried to process this new information. “That makes sense,” she murmured, nodding slowly. “So, you need to unwind, like everyone else, have some personal time.”

He approved. “Our calls are always a good reprieve from work.”

She grinned, pleased that he appreciated their time together as much as she did. It made sense that he would see her as someone he could relax with since she wasn't a part of his crew. What's more, since the first hug he had given her, all they did together was basically ‘sweet and fluffy’. “So you need me to distract you! I can do that!”

“Now you make it sound like an evening to the circus,” he remarked teasingly.

“Well, I’m a clown and magician all on my own, so why not?”

“A magician?”

“I see you’re not protesting the ‘clown’ one. It’s the hair, right?”

Pike chuckled and raised a hand. “You always make me laugh, Tilly.”

“Aww, that’s sweet. I’m going to blush. I’m totally remembering that. But the magician thing, right? Well, drunk Academy cadet little me had this thing, like, this crush, for a street musician-slash-magician who showed me a few tricks. Want to see?”

“By all means. You can’t say that and let me in the dark.”

“All right! Give me your fork.”

Tilly focused intently. She hadn’t done this in a while. The last time had been to impress her friends at a party on the Discovery, but once people knew the trick it was less funny.

When she looked up once she was done, Pike was leaning close, very close. She could count his eyelashes (very pretty ones). Their eyes met, and she lost the ability to form sounds. They drifted closer. Their lips, magnetically attracted to each other, met softly.

The distance between them wouldn’t allow a deeper kiss, but when Pike pulled back he smiled, one of his sideways rise of the lips. “I’m bewitched.”

Tilly snorted and immediately hid her face in embarrassment at the sound. “I can’t believe you said that. I was going to make a pun with that!”

“Glad to see I’m not the only dork in this relationship.”

“Hello, ‘dork’ could be my middle name!”

They laughed, but a chime of the door brought that to a quick end.

Raising a curious eyebrow, Pike stood up to check. Tilly started to gather the dishes they had spread on the bed to put them in the recycler.

“Commander Nhan?” Pike greeted their visitor with surprise.

“Captain,” Nhan said formally although her gaze wandered to Tilly. “I’m sorry to disturb you, but you didn’t answer your comm.”

Pike frowned and checked his pockets. When he failed to find it, he looked over his shoulder. Understanding the issue, Tilly sprawled over the bed and looked on the side he had occupied. Upside down, she looked for the item on the ground, nearly falling over the edge.

“Got it! Oh, I think you put it on silent. Probably pressed the wrong button. I do that all the time when it’s in my pockets,” she said while waving the device.

“Is there something wrong?” Pike asked his security officer.

“Three of our own got arrested for starting a fight,” she explained with an apologetic curl of her lip.

“You have got to be kidding me,” he sighed, rubbing his forehead.

“I can contact Number One…”

“No, no…” Pike hesitated, purposefully didn’t look over his shoulder at Tilly while he thought of the best way to handle the situation. This would be the perfect excuse to leave Tilly, and he knew she was aware of it. It would crush her… but it didn’t really matter, because he didn’t want to leave, especially not to go deal with rowdy crew members. “You know what, Commander? It’s eleven in the evening. Let them stew for a night in the brig, it will help clear their mind. I’ll handle this tomorrow morning.”

Nhan grinned and saluted. “Yes, Captain. Sorry to have disturbed you, Sir. Have a good night. You too, Tilly!” she called.

“Thanks, Nhan! You’re looking good! Love the hair!” Tilly shouted as she sat up and gestured at her own hair to indicate the braids Nhan was wearing.

“Thanks. My girlfriend did them.”

“Lucky girl!”

Pike closed the door and came back to the bed while smoothing his hair back.

“A Captain’s job is never done, right?” Tilly said.

“Still sure you want to become one?” he joked.

“One as good as you,” she replied with a soft smile.

He looked down at her, contemplating the young woman who had gone through slavery and came out still soft and kind, open to others and willing to fight for them and herself. “I know you will be,” he said honestly. He put a knee on the bed and leaned forward to cup her cheek, caressing the soft skin. “Do yourself a favor though, don’t do deep space, it gets the crew crazy and the Captain crazier.”

“The Captain looks good to me,” she replied, biting her bottom lip as it stretched into a smile.

“That you know of.”

“Should I check?”

“It might be more prudent.”

She stretched forward. Their lips met. In her eagerness, she unbalanced him. They fell into a heap on the mattress, laughing at their tangled limbs and inelegant kiss. Tilly tried to rectify the situation, but Pike caught her by the waist, pressed her against him and just rolled her on top of him.

“Now… that’s better.”

The fumbling with clothes Tilly had imagined followed, but not the confident sexiness she had dreamed of. When he brushed the scars on her back, she tensed. It had happened with the other partners she had had since her liberation, but they hadn't noticed (or she had distracted them). Pike... Well, she wasn't sure anything could escape his notice.

"You all right?" he breathed, interrupting his descent along her neck.

"Yes. Fine. Go on," she tried to urge him on.

He met her eyes and raised an eyebrow. "Are you on a hurry?"

She blushed. "No, I just mean you shouldn't worry about me, I'm fine."

"Right now, you're the only thing I'm worrying about, and I find that extremely refreshing." Gently, he shifted their position so she could lay on her stomach, with only her underwear on. He observed her scars, and she tensed some more. She had warned her other lovers not to comment on them, and they had dutifully ignored them. Pike already knew about them, and she had been too focused on him agreeing to sex to worry about this.

He kissed the top of a scar (done by a whip because she had talked too much, she remembered each one) and nuzzled along to the bottom where he dropped a new kiss. She held back a sniffle.

"Do they hurt?"

"Sometimes, when I'm too tired. Not right now," she managed to answer with a shaky voice.

He stroked her flank gently before his hand hovered over her bra's fastener. "May I?"

She hummed and nodded in agreement.

He opened it slowly, caressing her skin as he pulled it to the side and slid the straps down her shoulders and arms. Leaning forward, he kissed the valley of her spine. "You're gorgeous," he said.

"I don't like people watching them."

"All right," he agreed and straightened, looking at her face to respect her implicit request. "What about touching?"

"That... that's okay... if it's you." He wouldn't hurt her. She trusted him completely.

"Good." He stretched his palm over her back and stroked from the back of her neck to her waist. "I want to explore every little bit of you," he whispered in her ear.

She bit her bottom lip and held back a grin. "Yes, Captain."

 

oOo Seven years later oOo

 

Pike was tired of his hospital room. He wanted to go out. He would have said so to the first person stepping in if that person hadn’t been the one he had been waiting for a month.

“Tilly,” he breathed, drinking in the sight of the beloved red curly hair.

She smiled, that smile which said she was being brave but secretly wanted to cry. “Sir.”

She was in civilian clothes, her hair left down and free.

“Sylvia, what did you do?”

“What I had to.”

“What you did…”

“Was a breach of thirteen regulations. I know.”

He closed his eyes. “What did the disciplinary hearing say?”

“Six months of suspension. Downgrading to Lieutenant. Removal from the Commanding Track. Permanent removal.”

He shook his head and raised a hand to his throbbing cheekbone. The radiation burn was nearly healed under the dressing. Without Tilly’s intervention… well, he didn’t know if there would have been anything worth healing. As Fleet Captain, he had been visiting a cadet vessel when a radiation leak had happened. He had been evacuating cadets and had been stuck inside by the automatic lockdown. He should have died… if not for Lieutenant Commander Tilly managing to do the impossible and beaming him out of it and into the Enterprise (which had transported him to the cadet vessel, to his specific request so he could spend more time with his favorite dork). She had disobeyed direct orders, hacked into two different systems to go around the security protocols and beamed an irradiated individual into her ship, putting all her crew in danger. She hadn’t hesitated, Captain Burnham had told him. In less than three minutes, both their fates were sealed.

“You shouldn’t have.”

“Don’t say that,” she whispered, tears reaching her eyes, nose scrunching to hold them back.

“You put in danger your crew. You destroyed your career, your dream! And for what? An old man who’ll stay crippled anyway?”

“You’re alive! You’re alive, and that’s all that matters to me. I won’t regret that. I’ll do it all over again. Even if you hate me, it’s worth it.” She was crying.

Sighing, Pike gestured for her. “Come here. Sylvia, I don’t hate you. How could I? You just saved my life. But at what cost?”

She sat sideways on the edge of his bed and laid over him, hugging him lightly, mindful of his condition. “Worth it,” she repeated stubbornly while sniffling.

He sighed and stroked her hair back. “Sweetheart…”

“I owed you,” she commented, looking up. “Now we’re even.” She lifted her chin and held his gaze stubbornly.

He huffed and smiled. “I knew you’d grew into your stripes. I didn’t realize I’d come to regret it.”

“I don't care about them anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

Tilly straightened to explain: “Admiral Cornwell said you’d need help from then on, that you’ll be given a yeoman. I’m volunteering.”

“What? Wait a minute. You’re overqualified.”

“Doesn’t matter. The admiral says if I want the job, I’ll have it. If you want me to, that is...”

“Just to be clear, Tilly… I don’t sleep with my yeoman.”

“That’s fine. Who knows when you’ll be able to?” She blinked and then slammed her hand on her mouth, wide-eyed. “Oh, hell, I didn’t mean it like that! I’m so sorry! That was so rude. I mean… I should have said that I love you for your brain, not your body, obviously! So sorry, Chris!”

Pike stared at her with fond exasperation, shaking his head and letting her babble as punishment. Seven years of friends with benefits relationship, and here they were… or rather, here he was, being teased about his inability to get it up after radiation poisoning.

“Six weeks ago, you were telling me you only liked me for my body.”

“Well, that was after that horrible joke about atoms you made…”

“So, if I can’t joke anymore and I can’t satisfy your sexual appetite, what are we left with?”

“Oh, you know… just Captain Christopher Pike, one of the most decorated Starfleet officers alive, no big deal.” She shrugged and winked. “They’re waiting on your Doctor’s opinion to schedule the next ceremony by the way.”

“What are you talking about?”

She smiled mockingly. “Did you think you could try and sacrifice yourself to save cadets and don’t get one more medal for it? Also, eleven different new channels want an interview, three publishers are offering you a deal for your memoirs, and four production companies want to make a movie about you,” she counted on her fingers. “Oh, and Admiral Cornwell want to know if you prefer a morning or afternoon award ceremony.”

“Yeoman,” Pike said firmly, “just… deal with it for me, would you?”

She beamed. “Yes, Admiral!”

“Now you’re pulling my leg.”

“Oh, did I forget? Congratulations on your promotion, Rear Admiral Pike!” Tilly clapped her hands with a large grin.

“You little hellion.” He pulled on her jacket to draw her closer. “Couldn’t you lead with that?”

She giggled as he embraced her and kissed her cheek.

“And I was wondering what good an invalid captain would be…”

“Were you? Sorry. Admiral Cornwell says you’ll be able to choose your next posting after the stunt you pulled. She wants you to know that Starfleet Academy’s superintendent will retire soon, though. She thought you might like that.”

He hummed thoughtfully. “I might,” he admitted. It was no secret that he was fond of cadets and that he was getting nostalgic of Earth. His friend knew him well. “Would you?”

“I’d be happy wherever you are,” she admitted frankly. “But I liked the Academy. It wouldn’t be a hardship to go back.”

He pushed back a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled softly. “Sylvia…”

“If you’re going to say something about me deserving better, I’ll suffocate you with a kiss.”

He chuckled but let it go. “All right, then may I say that I’m a lucky man?”

“That, you can,” she agreed, grinning, before kissing his uninjured cheek.

A nurse arrived before they could say more. Tilly jumped down the bed to go sit in the visitor chair. She reached for his hand while the nurse checked his injuries. He squeezed it tight and never let go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your kudos and comments, they're much appreciated! ♥ I hope you liked this conclusion.  
> (I'm the queen of cuddly Tilly/Pike, two fics about them and they cuddle constantly... Is anyone complaining? Not me! :3)

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me at: https://lunaemoth.tumblr.com/


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